I Must Be Going Somewhere
by FlyingBoppers
Summary: Elizabeth Conlon is 4 years old. Racetrack Higgins had no idea his sister was married. Now he's stuck with his and Spot's energetic neice. She would do anything to remain with them, but her family wants her back.
1. Prolouge

Newsies have secrets. Everyone knows this.

Newsies have to lie to survive. Everyone knows this.

Newsies see each other as a family. Everyone knows this.

Newsies will sometimes cry over what they've lost. They let no one know this.

Newsies aren't affected by pain, or loss. At least the older ones aren't. After all, the kids need someone to look up to.

So there, in the city of New York, divided into its hardened boroughs, the older newsies hid their pain.

They'd witnessed horrible things. Starvation, people that had spent too long in the cold winter, disease, death. It hardened them. Made them stronger. They were strong.

Yet…..the death of ones they knew, they trusted, they loved. Those hurt. Those sent them spiraling.

But they got over it quickly. They had to. Weakness wasn't an option.

So as Jack Kelley dreamed, Racetrack Higgins shouted at horses, and Spot Conlon was watching over his boys on his tower of crates, they ignored the horrors around them the best they could.

As they went on with their day on October 12, 1899, not that far away, something happened that would change their lives.

In Albany, New York, a small girl hid in a crate as her parents screamed.


	2. The Doorstep Held

**I have to say, I edited this about 4 times and I'm still not sure about it so...correct me on any parts that don't make sense. I really hope that's not neccasary though. So...enjoy? Yes. Enjoy.**

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><p>Where was Racetrack? Where else? He was betting on horses at the track. It was his favorite pastime.<p>

After a good day at the races, Race started back for the Lodging House. It was getting late; the sky was beginning to darken.

However he could not immediately enter his Lodging House. There was something blocking him on the door step.

He took one look at what it was and almost screamed. Instead, he manuavered around it, raced though the door, and called for Jack. Jack grumbled a little bit but followed him outside. Jack had the same reaction as Racetrack and immediately picked the things up and brought them inside.

To say the newsies were shocked is an understatement. They were absolutely bamboozled.

Someone had left a baby horse and a toddler on their doorstep.

A commotion had erupted as they all tried to get their opinions through. The very commotion that woke up the small girl. No one noticed her stirring.

She simply turned to the horse and smiled. She loved her horse. Her eyes swept the room. She didn't know where she was, and this troubled her.

As clearly as she could muster with a voice heavy from sleep she asked, "Is anyone here named Anthony?"

The boys stopped squabbling and turned to her, shock on their faces. The girls' blue-grey eyes swept over them. The newsies slightly to let Racetrack through. "That's me, Doll Face." He said nervously.

The little girl had a huge grin on her face now, showing off her pearly whites. "You look just like Uncle Phillip!" She exclaimed. She got up and ran at him, arms wrapping around his legs.

The 17 year old was at a loss for words. He didn't understand…..Phillip was far away….

"I bet you miss him! He missed you! I always wanted to meet you! I always wanted another uncle!" The girl babbled excitedly.

"A what?" Race asked, his voice shaking.

"An uncle!" Suddenly she was unsure. "I'm your niece!"

Racetrack looked even farther lost. "Wendy had a little goil?"

"Yes!" She was pleased that he had caught on. "Me! Elizabeth Antoinette Conlon!"

Everyone froze.

"What?" Elizabeth asked. "Mommy married Daddy, Henry Conlon! Then they had me!"

Racetrack unwound her arms from him, and knelt down to her level. "Why are yah hea?"

Elizabeth's face fell. "Mommy's gone," She paused to sniffle. "And daddy."

Racetrack's eyes widened. "What do ya mean, gone?"

"They're in heaven, Uncle Anthony. They were good people. They're not goin ta hell. Phillip promised." A tear fell from the young girl.

Racetrack's face contorted with pain. It all fell together. Wendy was dead. His sister was dead. Even though he was 17, and a big strong newsie, he couldn't help but let a tear loose.

Elizabeth saw and threw he arms around his neck. "It's okay, Uncle Anthony. I have you now! And Daddy told me I had another uncle, somewhere."

Race gently picked the girl up. It was still late at night, and she had begun to yawn. He turned to Jack, pain and hopelessness clear on his face.

Jack didn't know what to do. After all, he'd never had to deal with a 4 year old before.

When they had first noticed Elizabeth was awake, Mush had run to get Mr. Kloppman. He returned now, Kloppman close behind.

"Hi!" Elizabeth greeted them happily. Kloppman just stared at her. Mush walked over to her and knelt down next to Race.

"You can stay here, honey." Mush whispered. Then he stood up, merging with the group of newsies that were observing the situation. Elizabeth clapped her hands excitedly.

"Goody!" She exclaimed. "Phillip said you'd let me stay!"

Racetrack sighed, and then spoke. "Where is Uncle Phillip now?" Elizabeth cocked her head to the side a bit, like she was thinking. Then she brightened, remembering whatever she was straining for.

"In Virginia, I think."

"Why?" Racetrack asked incredulously.

Elizabeth looked confused. "That's where he wanted to go, he said. I thought he liked it here, but I guess not!"

Racetrack sighed again and put his head in his hands, slowly walking to his bed. Eventually he laid down on it. He closed his eyes and willed the images of his dead sister to leave his mind.

Elizabeth looked innocently at Mush and Jack, who stood at the front of the mass of boys. "Are you my uncles too?"

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><p><strong>I cannot resist small children. Small children and living fluffballs are my weaknesses. <strong>

**Ok. Thank you to my few revieweres, gloomleader and MaxAnyaElphie. Her penname is a mouthful. It's also kind of a tounge twister. Or that might be just me because words seem to hate me.**

**See you soon.**

**Flying Out.**


	3. Elizabeth

**Hey Hey Hey! Here I am! Once again! I think that enough intro...I don't own the newsies. At all. I do own Elizabeth. Because she's mine. and cute. And you can't have her. Unless you ask permission. But she's still mine. So there.**

**Here it is!**

Racetrack Higgins woke up from a deep, fitful sleep only to think he was back in a nightmare. A pair of sparkling ice blue eyes looked back at him, much closer than was comfortable.

"Good morning Uncle Anthony!"

Racetrack just about screamed. Elizabeth noticed, giggling. There were scattered chuckles around the room as well from the other boys. Racetrack slowly sat up, looking at his niece. Her black hair was a mess, and her skin was pale, but her eyes shone like stars. Racetrack couldn't help but smile at her.

"You have to get ready, Uncle Anthony! You have to!" She said, pulling at his arm.

"I'm up, I'm up." Race said with a bit of a laugh. "Go wait downstairs with Kloppman."

Elizabeth grinned, racing her way down the stairs.

The boys got ready as usual. When they started down the stairs, they all smiles at the laughs they heard from both Kloppman and Elizabeth. Race grabbed the little girl's hand, slowing down for her little legs, stopping to get a bit of bread from the nuns. Finally, he got bored with pace and carried her, running at full speed. She laughed the whole way to the Distribution Center.

They waited in line for a while. A long while. Elizabeth got bored. And when small children get bored, they try to amuse themselves. Elizabeth escaped from Race's grasp, beginning to run in circles around him. Racetrack found no need to try and stop the child, maybe if she wore herself out, she would just fall asleep.

She did not fall asleep. She just wove herself through his legs the whole way through the line. Racetrack, thoroughly annoyed bought his papes and slung the child over his shoulder with her laughing the whole way up.

"How ya doin, Uncle Anthony?" Jack asked with a laugh as Race passed him.

"I wasn't cut out for this, Jack." Race replied with frustration.

"But I love you, Uncle Anthony!" Elizabeth cried with finality. "I love you a lot!"

"Yeah, yeah. I love ya too kid." Race replied absentmindedly. Elizabeth seemed to glow with happiness.

"Thank you, Uncle Anthony!" She yelled, wrapping her arms around his back, as she was still upside down behind him. Racetrack put her down gently. She giggled some more, running over to Jack.

"Uncle Jack, Uncle Jack!" She wrapped her arms around his legs, squeezing tightly.

"Hey Squirt!" Jack laughed, looking down at the little girl attached to him.

"Uncle Jack, I'm gonna sell with Uncle Anthony today!" She cried excitedly.

"Is ya?"

"Yeah!" She replied letting go of him to run back to Racetrack, grabbing his hand.

"I guess?" Race said, unsure. "She don't got anything else to do."

"'Cept go to Brooklyn," Mush said as he walked by, papers under his arm. Racetrack stopped him.

"Why?"

"To see her other uncle." Mush replied nervously. Racetrack's face brightened with understanding.

"But I already have Uncle Anthony, Uncle Jack, Uncle Blink, Uncle Crutchy, Uncle Dutchy, Uncle Specs, Uncle Skittery, and you!" She had ticked them all off on her fingers, pointing at Mush when she mentioned him. She had more 'uncles' as well, but her name remembrance skills were not _that _good.

"They not ya real uncles. Just me and your Uncle Spot." Racetrack told her.

"Uncle Spot?"

"The one you haven't met yet." Elizabeth's face lit up with joy.

"Yay!"

Racetrack chuckled at her enthusiasm. "C'mon kid, we're off to the races!" Elizabeth clapped excitedly racing after him.

Race hitched a ride on the back of a carriage with Elizabeth on his back, most of his papers going when they reached Sheepshead. "You must be my lucky cha'm kid!" Elizabeth just smiled and followed him.

Soon the horses were off, running as fast as they could, heading for the finish line.

Elizabeth had a fascination of horses. She watched them so intently; it looked like she knew which one would win right then and there. She wouldn't look away the entire race, not even if the ground she stood on burst into flames.

Horse number 4 won, not that Elizabeth cared for which one finished first, even if her Uncle seemed to.

The race was over and Racetrack had won…for the first time in a while. He was in a good mood as he left the track and began selling more papers, Elizabeth attached to his left leg. People smiled at him and bought his papers no problem, the woman cooing at Elizabeth, the men smiling at her.

People weren't buying papes from Racetrack. They were buying them from Elizabeth, and he knew it. Everyone knew it. Elizabeth herself was just gazing around, not looking where she was walking, where her uncle was taking her. Just the things around her. People, carriages, and a stable the she was heading for….

A stable she was heading for?

Indeed, Racetrack was entering a horse stable, a few stable hands brushing the beautiful racers she observed just a few minutes before. But Race bypassed them all, heading for a stall where a teenage girl in torn clothing simply watched a rather familiar foal.

"Spot!" Elizabeth proclaimed, letting go of her uncle to instead attach herself to the small horse.

"His name is Spot?" The girl asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "My mommy's was Brooklyn, and my daddy's was Old York."

Racetrack was now thoroughly confused. "Who named em?"

"Phillip helped, but Daddy named mine." She responded quietly stroking the white hairs of Spot the Horse. Spot the Horse knew Elizabeth very well, and seemed to curl into her touch.

"Where did ya live before?" Racetrack asked, still confused.

"Albany." Elizabeth told him matter-of-factly. "A half mile away from 10th street."

Racetrack's family lived in the same town they did when he'd left…

"We had 3 horses and fireflies, but the fireflies didn't live in jars with us, they flew in the yard. Sometimes Daddy would come home from work when the fireflies were coming out and he'd put some in a jar, but Mommy would yell at him and tell him to put them back. Then they would laugh and Daddy would put back the fireflies." She paused. "They were like our own stars in our front yard. I liked them a lot." Elizabeth brightened. "Mommy was like a star too! She'd take me to work with her, and sometimes we'd go see Daddy at work."

Elizabeth stopped talking, amused by her own memories of her mother and father- Wendy and Henry Conlon.

The teenage girl approached her, bending down so she could look her in the eyes. "We'll take good care of Spot, okay? You can come see him whenever you want."

Elizabeth clapped her hands. "Thank you!"

"It was Racetrack's idea."

Elizabeth was confused now. "Who?"

"Your uncle."

"Uncle Anthony?"

"Him."

Elizabeth ran to her Uncle Anthony, hugging him tightly. "Thank you Uncle Anthony! Spot means everything to me!"

Race couldn't help but smile. Mostly because he was picturing her other uncles reaction. Spot the Newsie would either laugh at her horses name or become murderous. It would all depend on the mood he was in. Especially because his brother named it.

But the truth was, it wasn't Race's idea. It was the idea of a few newsies, namely Mush, Blink, Snipeshooter, and Pie Eater, saw a teenage girl walking around in rags, searching for somewhere to sleep. A few days ago, Race had said that a stable hand from Sheepshead, someone he knew well, had been beat to death. So they ran the situation and the idea of that job by her. She could probably sleep in the stable, she had some experience with animals, and it would give her a job.

So this girl was off, leading a small, unnamed foal with her.

But Elizabeth didn't know that, and Racetrack knew only the main idea of the tale, told by the four newsies this morning.

"C'mon, we have to get home." Race said with a smile still on his face. Elizabeth pouted lightly but started running anyway. Racetrack laughed and quickly caught up to her, picking her up and spinning her around. She giggled her signature giggle, her smile as big as can be, even when Race set her down.

When they were almost to the Lodging House, Elizabeth yawned and started to fall behind. Race quickly scooped her up and kept walking.

"Uncle Anthony?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I share a bed with you again tonight?"

"Shoa."

"Uncle Anthony?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"Yeah, I love ya too, kid."

**Technically I also own Wendy and Henry Conlon too...and Phillip...and the teenage stable hand. Oh well. You can't have them either. **

**thanks to my reviewers: MaxAnyaElphie, Heavenly Princess, Little Cutie, and gloomleader. Thank you very much!**

**BTW, Life hates me right now, and I'm going through some rough spots, so it might be a while, but I'll get out another chapter as soon as I can.**

**Flying Out. **

**See you soon.**


	4. Who Changed

**Hey Hey Hey! How are you? I am good. If you didn't know, and I doubt you did, I already have two captives. However, they are not of the Newsies universe, so they don't get to be in these stories. I have Angel from Maximum Ride and Samson for Savvy. Both of those are books...**

**Anyway, I know you don't care, I just felt like saying something. So, here you go!**

"Get up, get up, get up, get up! Uncle Anthony you haveta get UP!"

The other newsies had taken great amusement in Racetrack's wakeup calls. It really was a humorous sight. Imagine, if you will, a little girl with tangled black hair and ice blue eyes shining with excitement and mischief. She's wearing a plain white dress with a pink bow around the waist. Now imagine that little girl sitting on the chest of someone 4 times her age, yelling at him while he mumbles in his sleep.

Yes, it was a funny thing. Elizabeth certainly enjoyed it. She would wake up before the boys did, somehow, get dressed, and shake her Uncle Anthony until his eyes opened.

Elizabeth would then laugh, say hi to a few of her uncles, giving hugs. Then she would run downstairs to talk with Kloppman for the few minutes the boys were getting ready. Then Racetrack would sling her over his shoulder and head to the nuns cart with the others. The nuns didn't like Elizabeth at first, they thought she was Racetracks child, and they knew Racetrack wasn't married. Once they knew the story, however, they did like Elizabeth.

Then Racetrack would take her to the track, sell, gamble, and visit Spot the Horse. The teenage girl -Hannah, they had learned- had taken a liking to them, making small talk when they dropped by every day.

Then they would head home, stopping to get a small bit of food at Tibby's. It didn't even matter that Race had two mouths to feed. He could sell so many now that Elizabeth was at his side, people couldn't get enough of her.

The others boys had all pitched in to get Elizabeth another dress. She hadn't had any clothes with her except the ones she was wearing upon her arrival. She was the proud owner of only two articles of clothing, got half the food she was used to, and had only her uncles left. She wasn't any happier than she had been with her parents. She had been happier before, if you can believe it.

At nights, she would curl up next to her Uncle Anthony, and some nights she would cry. She would sob as she realized she wasn't ever getting her Mommy and Daddy back. She wasn't ever going to see them smile, or kiss each other as she pretended to be grossed out but was really awed at how much they loved each other.

Her other uncles would comfort her, try to calm her down, but Uncle Anthony only held her close. She always saw a few tear streaks on his face on those nights.

The sobbing got less frequent as she spent more time with them. But Races heart would break every time she looked at the stars and closed her eyes with a pained expression. Something as beautiful as the stars sent her memories of times where she was never on the verge of tears from emotion.

Elizabeth had lived at the Lodging House for about one month before something big happened. The newsies learned the little girl's birthday, her interests, the things that made her cry, everything she loved and hated. They had learned how to calm her down when she woke up screaming and sobbing about a traumatic event she really was too little to handle. They knew this little girl well, and they all made sure she was happy.

Then came the interruption.

It was an odd day, one of those days where Racetrack would leave Elizabeth for another newsie to watch and sell with. It didn't happen often, so it was a rare sight for the rest of Manhattan, evenm if they didn't know that. She was with Jack that day, clinging to his back as he shouted. There were so many people that looked at her oddly, or smiled at her,

"What's this, Jacky-boy?" A voice drawled. "That _my_ niece you got?"

"Spot." Jack sounded surprised, and Elizabeth peeked over his shoulder. A boy stood there, just a little younger than Uncle Jack, with eyes that looked very familiar.

"Uncle Jack?" She asked, her mind swimming with questions.

"Yeah, Liza?" She didn't know why Uncle Jack called her Liza, he just did.

"Why does he have my eyes? And why did he steal Spot's name?" Jack started to snicker as he realized she was thinking about her horse.

"I think your horse stole his name." Jack responded. Spot's eyes hardened, and it frightened Elizabeth.

"I don't know what you're talkin about," Spot definitely did not look happy. "But a birdie chirped, sayin I have a little niece in Hattan."

"Are you my Uncle Spot?" Elizabeth asked timidly.

"Yeah."

"Uncle Spot?"

Now he looked annoyed. "What, kid?"

"Why are you so scary?" Jack cracked a smile, and Spot was fighting a grin.

"He's always scary, Liza." Jack joked. "That's where you got it from."

Elizabeth perked up. She could do these kids of conversations. "I am not scary!"

"Yes you are!"

"I am not!"

"Then why do you wake up yoah uncle every morning?"

"Because he doesn't wake up when he supposed to!"

"What uncle?" Spot interrupted.

"Uncle Anthony!" Elizabeth shouted with joy. Spot did not look like this answered any of his questions.

"Racetrack." Jack clarified. Elizabeth sighed in frustration.

"Why does everyone call him that!"

"You don't complain that people call Mush Mush or Blink Blink. Why is he different?" Jack questioned.

"Because those are their names!" She told him confidently. Spot opened his mouth to say something, but Jacks face clearly told him to zip it.

"Sure kid." Jack told her, his attention on Spot. "Why did you come over here Spot?"

Spot looked at him incredulously. "To see my brother's kid, ya bum. Where is he, anyway?"

Elizabeth looked at him now, their gazes locking, cold ice on warm ice. "Daddy's gone, Uncle Spot. He went to heaven, just like Mommy."

Spot's face registered the shock. Spot himself did not. No, the King of Brooklyn had frozen, the cold eyes of his eyes seeming to melt, holding an almost childlike quality.

Elizabeth loosened her hold on Jack's back and scampered over to Spot. She jumped and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her legs around his torso. She looked at him, her face extremely close to his. Elizabeth didn't utter a word. All she did was look into the distressed boy's eyes with a calm gaze.

Spot looked back at her, his expression full of misery.

Jack was simply bamboozled yet again. Spot, king of Brooklyn, was close to tears. But he was still Spot Conlon, and Spot Conlon did not cry.

The three stood there for a moment before Elizabeth hopped off of her uncle and ran back to Jack.

"I love you, Uncle Spot." She said, much less happy than she'd ever told anyone else that she loved them

She took Jack's hand and attempted to lead him away. But Jack wouldn't have it.

Spot's eyes had hardened again, worse this time. He was angry, but he wasn't about to explode in front of Jack. He had too much pride for that. So without a word, Spot turned on his heel and stalked off.

Elizabeth once again grabbed Jack's hand and pulled. But once again Jack did not move. He took the now upset girl and put her back on his back.

"Psychopath rampages through New York!"

**So...that was...happy. **

**I thought of something else to say! In the early 1860's, so very close to the time of our beloved newsies, they had $20 gold coins. Those were a big deal to have, because back then, $20 is equal to having $470 today! **

**So I did math, ew, and figured that 1 dollar then had increased to about $23.75 today, or something. It's 23 point something.**

**Thank you for your time. **

**Flying Out.**


	5. The Way

**It's been longer than usual...sorry for the sad AN that will follow. My great-grandma passed away on August 3, and we've been swarmed with funeral buisness. So, I'll keep up with this the best I can, hopefully this will all be over soon, I can't handle more crying people, I don't deal with them well.**

**Anyway, here's Chapter 5!**

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><p>Jack's strong point was not comforting little girls. Neither was Racetrack's, but Jack handed 'Liza' to Race.<p>

Mush, though, Mush was good with kids. So when Mush entered the Lodging House, he found himself with an armful of Elizabeth.

Tumbler _was_ a kid. Only 7 years old. So when Tumbler entered the Lodging House, he found himself sitting next to Mush and Elizabeth without making the choice to.

Everyone else stayed away from the three, only glancing at them every now and then while the trio talked.

Elizabeth was miserable. Mush was trying to coax the reason out of her, but she would not budge. Tumbler, however, was a different story.

Tumbler just struck up a conversation. He told her about Central Park, where she hadn't yet been, and in return she told him about her home, her horses. They talked for a while, just sharing stories and comments on things they've seen. After that while, Tumbler asked her why she had been so sad.

Then she spilled. A few people tuned in, wanting to hear the reason.

"I don't think Uncle Spot likes me. I think he hates me." She whispered to the boy. Tumbler looked confused, but didn't respond to this statement. He just hopped up, ran over to Mush, who had left a few minutes after they had begun talking, whispered in his ear, then ran back to Elizabeth. Tumbler grabbed her hand, pulling her towards Boots and Snipeshooter.

"Do you wanna learn how to play marbles?"

The rest of the younger kids' evening was spent teaching Elizabeth how to play marbles, even though she wasn't any good at it. That night, Tumbler and Elizabeth became very good friends.

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><p>The next morning, the routine went without a hitch. Elizabeth spoke to Kloppman again, this morning the topic was on horses. Mr. Kloppman knew very little about them, and Elizabeth was only too happy to tell him everything she knew about the animals.<p>

So Race took his niece to the track again, sold, bet on horses, visited Spot the Horse, sold, and went home. Elizabeth was only too happy with this schedule.

But that night, Elizabeth could not fall asleep. She lay there, very still, willing herself asleep. It did not happen. Instead, her attention was caught when the mattress shifted and someone got up. She got up as well, and followed her uncle, where he sat on the edge of the street. Elizabeth sat next to him, scanning his face for something, yet she wasn't sure what it was.

"Why are you up?" Her uncle asked her quietly.

"I couldn't fall asleep." She told him, just as quietly.

"Liza?" He asked. Elizabeth was surprised her Uncle Anthony use that name for her, but she simply said, "Yes?"

"What do you remember about your mom?" Race's face was almost blank, and even if it wasn't, it was hard to see in this dark.

"Well," Liza started. "She was very pretty. She had black hair like mine, and brown eyes. She had a really pretty laugh too, and I always tried to make her laugh so I could hear it. She liked horses, and her horse, Brooklyn was white with brown on him, and she loved to go for rides on Brooklyn. She loved Daddy very much, and he loved her too." Elizabeth was far away, with her mother. She jerked out of that state reluctantly.

Racetrack turned to the small girl. "Is she still taller than me?"

Elizabeth giggled and nodded. Race did a dramatic sigh, as though that news made him sad.

"Does she still smile like she used to? Real pretty?"

Elizabeth answered, "Real pretty."

Racetrack smiled and asked another question, getting to know the sister he'd lost years ago.

Elizabeth talked with her uncle for hours there on the side of the street. They talked about her mom, Elizabeth telling him what she remembered in return for a funny story about her.

That night, Wendy Higgins-Conlon came to life for the two people that missed her most.

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><p>The late night took it's toll upon our favorite neice. The next morning, Elizabeth did not wake up bright and early. She did not wake up her uncle, and she was not a happy camper when her other uncles woke her up.<p>

In fact, she bit Mush. Hard.

"OW!" Mush exclaimed, shaking his finger, practically staring the girl down now. "That hurt!"

"Ya big baby." Blink laughed. He picked up Elizabeth and held her upside down. She responded by kicking him in the ribs. "Hey!"

"Let me sleep…." Liza mumbled.

"No." Kid Blink responded with a smile. Liza groaned.

"Yes."

"No."

"Now."

"Never."

Liza just groaned again. She decided she would stop struggling, and simply hang there. Her head began to become extremely uncomfortable to have, and she had an odd desire to remove it altogether.

Elizabeth crossed her arms in a show of stubbornness. She was _not_ going to get up. _**Not**_.

Blink just held her there, waiting for her to give in.

This was a contest of patience.

Patience that four years olds do not possess. After only about two minutes, Elizabeth started to squirm her way out of her uncle's grip. She did, as he wasn't expecting it, and Liza landed on her head.

She groaned again. There were frantic footsteps, and when she opened her eyes she saw Tumbler staring down at her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, watching as Elizabeth put a hand to the back of her head.

"I don't wanna get up." She said stubbornly, and promptly fell back asleep.

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><p><strong>There you have it. Mostly just a filler chapter of cute children. But come on, it was still awesome. Not that I think that...or anything. <strong>

**Please leave me a well rounded review! I love critism, whihc is weird, but _please_? **

**Thank you for reading.**

**Flying Out.**


	6. They Saw

**Hi! **

**This is pretty much a casting call….because I felt like it. **

**I need a small boy and a small girl, between the ages of 7 and 9. I also need a teenage girl with a darker, more sinister personality. I'll leave a copy-and-paste thing at the end of the chapter for you to fill out.**

**Yes, I could create them myself, but it's more fun for you guys this way!**

Elizabeth had held with the fact that she would not leave that day. Racetrack had laid her on his bunk and left, giving Kloppman a warning.

Later that day, Elizabeth's sleep had been slowly fading when Kloppman came up to check on her. He chuckled to himself and shook the girl a bit before leaving. Elizabeth had successfully woken up and this point, back to her own self.

Yet, she was alone. So, what does an Elizabeth do when she's alone and bored and energetic?

She dances. With invisible people. To silent music.

At least she was having fun. Little Elizabeth twirled and jumped all over the bunkroom, laughing every now and then when she almost ran into something.

Racetrack had worried about his niece all day. He hadn't even gone to Sheepshead . In between editions, he decided to go into the Lodging House and check on her, and if she was awake, take her back outside with him.

He entered the bunkroom to see his niece spinning like a top all through the bunkroom. She was laughing, her smile stretched farther than he'd ever seen it.

When Liza spotted him, it didn't faze her that she had an audience. Instead, she ran over, grabbed her uncles hands, and brought him into the middle of the bunkroom as well, then started spinning again.

Racetrack laughed. He began tapping a rhythm for her to dance to, and she had begun dancing with invisible people, he arms out at strange angles.

Kloppman, hearing the noise, made his way up the stairs to be greeted with a sight that made him smile. Racetrack and Elizabeth, both laughing and dancing.

When Race spotted Kloppman, he stopped, but his smile did not fade. Instead, he picked up his prancing niece and ran down the stairs. Kloppman was left chuckling, going back downstairs, down to his desk.

In the chilling months that followed, Racetrack and Liza were extremely close, even for family. Elizabeth loved all of her uncles dearly, and they returned the feeling.

Life was rather perfect for little Elizabeth Conlon. She had all but forgotten her uncle Spot, but Tumbler remained her closest friend of the newsies. Of course, that's only because Racetrack didn't count as a 'friend' per say.

When March rolled around, Elizabeth had her 5th birthday, where only one present was given, but she could have cared less about the presents, even though the dress was very nice.

Elizabeth had her family here. She didn't cry over her parents anymore, though sometimes she would become very sad and not talk to anyone.

Her routine didn't falter until that one day in June. The day when Jack Kelly decided he was too old.

He left them. Jack just up and left, leaving Kid Blink in charge of his newsies. Racetrack began to get distant, even to Liza.

At first, Liza would ask someone why, and they would just tell her they didn't know. Now they were avoiding the question entirely.

Elizabeth Conlon owned three dresses, all of her new friends were boys that were older then her, and all of her adoptive uncles loved her very much. But when Anthony started talking less, started looking more sad, Elizabeth Conlon grew quieter.

Everyone noticed, but no one would tell the little girl, now five years old, what was wrong with her uncle.

One day, when Racetrack finished selling and they were outside of the LH, he brought his niece close to him and explained what was happening.

"Elizabeth,"

"Yes?"

"Phillip wrote to me a while back."

"Uncle Phillip?"

"Yeah."

"He's nice, I like him."

"Yeah. He said he would take you back."

"Why?" Elizabeth was suddenly distressed. "I like being here with you!"

"I can't be a newsie for very much longer." Racetrack said, his head bowed.

"Yes you can!" Elizabeth shouted, almost demanding.

"No, I can't. I'm almost 19. That's too old."

"Like Uncle Jack?"

"Yeah….like Uncle Jack."

"Where will you go?"

"I'll find a job."

"I'll go with you." Elizabeth crossed her arms and stared at her uncle.

"You can't." He stared right back.

"Can too!"

"No, you can't. Phillip will take you to Virginia."

"I don't wanna go to Virginia."

"You have to."

"NO!" With that, Elizabeth ran into the Lodging House. Racetrack was left standing outside alone, not even bothering to follow her.

Inside, Elizabeth tore her way up the stairs, on the edge of screaming. Once inside the bunkroom, she landed on Racetrack's bunk, put her face on the pillow, and screamed. Muffled as it was, the other boys could hear it.

Tumbler approached her while her head was still on the pillow.

When Elizabeth looked up to see her best friend standing there, she told him everything. She told him about how Racetrack thought he was too old, to how Elizabeth would have to go to Virginia.

When Racetrack came in that night, he talked quietly with Kid Blink for a long time, while Elizabeth was deep in a fitful sleep.

…**I don't like it. I really don't. If anyone has any ideas on how to make this chapter better, whether it be specific parts, or the whole thing, please help me. Anyway.**

**Name:**

**Age:**

**Appearance:**

**Personality:**

**Please fill this out if you would like to submit a character of the afore-mentioned types. **

**See you next time. **


	7. The World,

**Time skip! Four years later!**

It had been a long four years. I had only spent one year with my uncle Anthony, but I still missed him. On this particular day he hadn't been on my mind as much, but of course, Phillip had to get a job as a jockey. Of course.

The horse racing down in Virginia was pretty close to the horse racing in New York. The rules were all the same at least. But something was always missing from Virginia horse racing. I knew what it was as soon as I realized something else should be there.

The distant shouts I heard should be closer, should be in a different voice. My uncle Anthony wasn't here, shouting out headlines and keeping me close to him. Here, it was just me, Timmy, and Rosie.

Timmy and Rosie were my best friends down here, Timmy was 8 and Rosie was 9. Both of them lived in the same apartment building as me and Phillip, so when I first came here they were the first people I met. Now they went with me to the races when I watched Uncle Phillip.

They knew all about New York.

Timothy became Jumper after the stories I wove for him, and Rosie was shortened to Rose. Now the three of us, Jumper, Rose, and Liza thrived on my stories. I couldn't stop telling them. It was as though if I ran out of stories I could never go back. Rose and Jumper loved hearing them.

So I told them everything.

They got every insignificant detail of every newsie that I had ever known.

Over the last 4 years, I had begun to run dry. Now I was nine years old, taller and barely more defined. My hair was longer, and my skin was tanner.

My thoughts were on the newsies a lot. I never forgot, see. Rose and Jumper would remind me of things sometimes, but I had spent my first few weeks merely bawling, ingraining every detail I could into my mind.

Anthony would be 23 by now, maybe he had made something of himself. The same for Jack, Mush, Blink, and everyone else their age. I often wished I had learned their real names. Les would be a teenager. The same for Boots, Snipes, and Tumbler. I had tried to imagine them older, but always ended up with funny pictures of them distorted and stretched, like taffy.

Virginia was really different from New York, and far away, but I dreamed that the newsies would save me from the constant heat, even in the winter. I would see Spot, Hannah if she still worked at the track, Kloppman if he was still the caretaker. I would see everyone and everything I had missed and take Rose and Jumper with me.

I would see Tumbler again. He would be 11 now, and maybe, if he was lucky, Skittery got him off the streets. If he wasn't lucky, he'd be dead.

That's another thing. I had watched my parents die. When you're little, you can fit into tiny crates while your parents fade away. It was like I could feel their spirits leave me. When I first arrived in Manhattan, I had nightmares all the time, but I eventually calmed down. The first few weeks in Virginia were hell for Phillip. I cried, had nightmares every night, screamed at him for taking me away. But he kept me there.

The memories are all sort of grainy now, it's been so long.

Then it happened. The beautiful, magical happening that happened.

Rose was moving to Albany, New York. Rose was moving to NEW YORK.

I was childish about it. I begged Phillip to let me go, to stay in Manhattan to please please have a heart!

He agreed up to a point. He thought it might be good for me to _visit_ New York, but I wouldn't be staying. He would sent me there with Rose and her parents, and trusted me to get back on my own.

The 'getting back on my own' was a bit unnerving, but I was ready to go back.

It all happened quickly after that decision. I had two days in Manhattan. I had enough money to stay in my old lodging house; hopefully Kloppman was still there. After those two days, I had to return.

Phillip would be meeting me halfway, and take the last two trains home with me. But for the first one I would be alone.

Even that didn't matter. New York was everything now.

So that's how I ended up on a train back to where I came from, to refresh my memories, and make everything a little less fuzzy.

**Tell me what you think, did I mess anything up? **

**Flying out.**

**Monkey Cerebrum.**


	8. And When

**Yay! New Chapter!**

I was jittery throughout all three train rides. How would New York have changed? I was positive I remembered all the streets Anthony had ever taken me on.

Rose and I chattered quietly as well, unless we were sleeping. She spoke of how much she would miss Jumper, and how I had to tell him that when I went back to Virginia. She said she would force Mrs. O'Shay, her mother, to let her go back to Virginia sometime.

I knew Rose wouldn't go back to Virginia. Her mother hated it there. Her mother wanted to go back to Ireland, even though she had escaped from that place for a better life. So it was the least I could do to tell Jumper she would miss him.

We finally reached New York City. Not Manhattan, but Queens. The O'Shay family would take me to Manhattan, then make their way to Albany, far away. Two days. I had two days, and I had to go back to Queens on the morning of the third day.

Manhattan came upon us in an hour. It was the same. I even saw a newsie, one I sadly didn't recognize, shouting on a corner about some death toll.

I told them they could leave me here, that I knew where I was. The weird part is, I _did_ know. Being back here triggered memories of a younger Liza, one that wept over Jack Kelly and talked nonstop to her caring caretaker. A happier Liza who believed everything was perfect except for her parents passing.

That Liza and I were one and the same now.

It was springtime, and about 7 o'clock, so the heat wasn't overpowering. It was even a bit cold.

Duane Street wasn't far off. I found that my feet went without direction from my brain while I stared at the people and places that seemed so familiar. I knew how to get to Irving Hall, or Central Park, even Tibby's or Sheapshead.

I went to the place I was supposed to go. There was a dime in my pocket, just enough for two full days of lodging. Anthony wasn't paying my way now. The dime shared its living space with my remaining train tickets, five more dimes, two quarters, and 10 nickels.

I fully expected to see Kloppman behind his desk, referring to his ledger, or Tumbler and Boots playing marbles.

That wasn't what I saw at all.

What I saw was a young man behind the desk, deep into a book. I knew this person. He had light brown skin and dark brown curls, the same color as his normally lit up eyes. But why was Mush where Kloppman usually sat? Mush was 22 now, much too old to be a newsie.

"Mush?" I whispered, hoping he would hear my voice while my mind raced with the question. Mush looked up, confused.

"Who are you?" He asked me, gently. "This is a boy's lodging house."

"Well, thought I'd stay somewhere familiar. Bottle Alley has a house for girls, but I only need two nights, and I know this place so well….." I trailed off.

"Elizabeth Conlon?" He asked, his voice shocked with just a hint of skeptism. I nodded, fearing he would come to the conclusion he was wrong. But he didn't. Instead, he smiled, and opened his mouth.

"Two days, huh? That'll be 10 cents and a promise you'll write sometime. Anthony and I missed ya, kid." He was letting me stay! I gave him the dime, which he took and dropped into a sort of safe. Anthony and I…..

"You talk to Uncle Anthony still?" Mush laughed a little bit before responding.

"Yeah, but the kids around hear call him Higgins." I could feel my eyes widen. The kids around here…. He noticed my reaction and continued. "We own the place together now. Klopp, uh, he's gone now, Lize. He gave it to us."

I knew what he meant, but I was sort of glad he didn't say outright that a childhood friend of mine was dead.

"Me and Tony share an apartment too, roommates."

Tony. He called my uncle Tony.

"Mush?" I asked, louder now. "What do they call you?"

"Around here? Meyers. Tony and everyone else? Aaron."

Mush's name was Aaron Meyers. It didn't fit him. "I'll still call you Mush." I declared.

Mush smiled again, then called out, "Snipes!"

"What?" An angry voice yelled back.

"Get down here!" Mush shouted. There was the sounds of someone shifting, the coming down the stairs. A boy of about 14 was walking towards me, with curly red hair and dancing blue eyes. He was tall, muscled, and looked like a newsie should. Tanned, ink stained hands and all.

Snipeshooter had gotten a lot bigger.

"Whose this, Mush?"

"Liza Conlon." As Mush was saying my name, the door opened and a few more boys entered, all laughing and talking. One of them was tall, dark skinned. No longer 11, but 15.

"Boots." I said. He looked away from the others and locked eyes with me. Boots started walking over to where I stood.

"I must bring good luck. Been leader for two weeks and lil Liza Conlon returned. It's been a while."

"Yeah. You're the leader?"

"Yep. Blink moved on two years ago, and gave the spot to Trillion, you don't know him, who gave it to me just two weeks ago. Are ya stayin? Race missed ya, kid." He told me.

"Just for two days. I'm visiting." I told him back as normally as I could manage with all of these hidden memories springing out of nowhere.

_A little girl with black curls and ice colored eyes chattered to an old man at his desk as he smiled on. A taller boy with a striped green vest grabbed her from behind, lifting her and spinning her around. She giggled in delight. "I love you, Uncle Anthony." She told him sweetly, as they swiftly left the building._

_The little girl and a boy with reddish-brown hair were in a lesson. The boy was showing the girl tips for marbles. She wasn't doing so well, but she never stopped smiling, and neither did he._

_The little girl, the marbles boy, a dark skinned boy, and a red haired one, chased each other all around. Up the stairs, through the bunkroom, the washroom, down the stairs, around the lobby, and over and over. All because they had nothing better to do at 1 in the morning when none of them could sleep. _

I had been only five, Boots only 11, Snipes only 10, and Tumbler only 7. Now we were bigger, more responsible, more weight on our shoulders. We wouldn't run through the stairs like hooligans. Tumbler might not want anything to do with me now. Anthony wouldn't pick me up and spin around. I would never laugh with Kloppman again as I tried to guess how old he was.

72. 4 years ago Kloppman had been 72. Too old. Too old for him to stay with his loyal newsies.

Boots had nodded then gone upstairs, Snipes following him, as I processed the memories thrown at me. Mush looked at with concern in his eyes, but I did not return the gaze.

My mind was in another time when Anthony entered the building, arms full of groceries. His was in the present. He saw me, and he asked Mush to make sure he was right.

Mush confirmed the suspicion that I was me, and Anthony came over and gave me a hug. Since I hadn't been paying attention, he caught me off guard and I screamed shortly. I quickly realized who it was, returned the hug, and cried on his shoulder. I had missed him so, so much.

The rest of the night was storytelling between myself, my real uncle, and my not-so-real uncle. The three of us talked for a long time.

I told them of my Virginia adventures, what Phillip had become. They in turn told me about getting the Lodging House and keeping it, and their little apartment. At the end, they told me about Tumbler's confusing life.

Skittery had left, leaving him alone and confused. Skittery came back to talk to him a year later. Skitts was getting married to a girl named Haley Robinson. He and Haley were getting their own place to start a family and be happy. He had talked with Haley, who had agreed to let Tumbler stay. But Tumbler denied the invitation. He told them he really wanted to, but not yet. That was a year ago, and Haley is pregnant now, but she still said she would welcome him into her home.

So Tumbler had to make a very hard decision. Leave everyone he knew and loved for Skittery, or stay in his hard life of newsiehood. The little kid was about to crack.

He spent a long time at nights at Central Park, just sitting there, thinking. But he would be back soon for a good night's sleep.

I had to see Tumbler again. I had to.

While I waited for my old friend, I let more memories hit me, closing my eyes and leaning against the desk.

_Lil Liza's eyes shone as she ran through Central Park, pausing only to spin the occasional circle. Race followed her without too much effort, a huge smile on his face as he watched her. _

_Liza twirled in the rain, tipping her head back and letting the drops fall into her mouth. She had drug Tumbler and Snipes out with her, and both of them had their heads back as well. Liza laughed as they began to jump around with their mouths wide open and their heads all but touching their backs._

_Liza held tightly to her uncle's hand while she cried. Why did Uncle Jack have to leave? She asked him this, and her uncle merely responded it was his time. He shook off her hand and walked out of the LH, looking so strange without his cowboy hat or bandana, hardly glancing at anyone. He had thrown them away, his newsies and his trademark things._

_Tumbler grinned at Liza. He was perched on Skitterys back and Liza on Race's. The older boys were running around, racing, purely to hear the kids on their backs laugh._

I smiled at some of them, frowned at others. Memories are odd things.

A boy walked in after not too long. His hair was a dark red-brown color, and his eyes light hazel. His face was too gaunt for a kid, and he was far too much bone, not enough muscle. But under that, I knew who he was.

Tumbler's eyes met mine, and he smiled. We ran upstairs, talking as fast as we could. We jabbered like that for hours, like I had never left. Boots and Snipes looked at us, smirking. The other faces we unfamiliar, except Blanket who didn't really seem to care, but we ignored them.

I had my best friend back.

The next two days were full of light and laughter. I watched Tumbler sell and walked through Central Park with Race. I caught up to everything.

Skittery lived not in New York, New York, but Troy. That's why Tumbler wasn't sure. It wasn't a short walk there and back. He talked to them through letters, working extra hard to pay for postage.

Race was going steady with Hannah Robinson, as in Sheepshead Hannah, who turned out to be Haley's sister.

Everyone had something to be happy about.

And at nights as I had to whisper to Tumbler so everybody else could sleep, so did I.

Going to New York was the best idea ever.

**It might be a little bit rushed, but the last line is very important. **

**Fly on.**

**Monkey Cerebrum**


	9. She Left

**I feel horrbile, and this is short. I haven't updated in forever, but I hope you'll still read. **

Going to New York was the worst idea ever.

I got very ill when I returned home. All I could think of was New York. Phillip looked painfully like his younger brother. That kid I passed looked like Boots or Snipeshooter, Mush should be downstairs to greet me when I wake up. Tumbler and I should be talking through the night.

Puking in the morning became a regular occurrence. I didn't try to, but I didn't fight it, either. Jumper tried to see me one morning, but I didn't know. I was asleep, almost unconscious.

Then I decided it didn't matter. What didn't matter? Everything.

I was a bad person. When I was in New York, I hoped Phillip wouldn't miss me, and I missed Jumper something fierce. When I was out of New York, I got literal homesickness.

Maybe I didn't belong anywhere.

Maybe I was just taking up space, wasting food, not that I ate much these days.

I'd been back in Virginia for three months when I got a letter. It was dated from a month earlier, from a 'Robert Collins'. Tumbler had wrote me a letter and managed to send it all the way here.

_Dear Liza, _

_ I put my real name on here with Skittery's last name on it. I hope you aren't too confused! I used Skitt's name because he's kind of my dad now. He and Haley are adopting me. Haley's goin to have a baby soon and Skitts' is bugging me that I'll have a brother or sister. I'm happy is what I wanted to say. I thought you should know. Race and Mush miss you but mostly Race. I'm not goin to be a newsie anymore and I'm goin to go to school. Jack sent a letter to the LH the other day saying how he is a cowboy is Sante Fe and he doesn't miss us. It wasn't a very nice letter. I don't have much else to say except that I miss you a lot. By the way Mush wrote this for me._

_Thank, _

_Tumbler_

Tumbler was happy. I was not. Tumbler had people who love him, and so did I. Neither of us were in Manhattan now.

It seemed like the world hated me.

Maybe it did.

Who knows?

Who cares?

I don't.

Nothing matters.

Why, hello again darkness and nausea.


End file.
